It's Time
by scarlettstones
Summary: Bella discovers a vintage shop with a big secret: you don't pick the dress, the dress picks you. When she wears a beautiful red early nineteen hundreds dress, she gets taken back into a previous life she never remembered. Warning: major character death and angst in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

"... was just what he said to me, then he left! He just left me like that without giving me a goddamn reason why! I swear, I'll kick his ass when I see him again!" Rosalie punched her other fist, as if she was ready to beat someone up.

I was barely listening to my best friend droning on and on about her breakup with her very-recent-ex Eric. I had my earphones on, listening to _From Now On_ by _The Features_. It was probably the best song I've ever heard in ages and its catchy tunes were stuck in my head all day that when I took out my iPod, I had to put it on replay.

"Bella, are you listening?" Rosalie asked.

When I didn't answer, she pulled out my earphones so hard that my left ear popped and caused it to be sensitive for a few seconds. "Huh?" My head snapped up and I stared at her with wide eyes and a slightly opened mouth in shock.

"Were you even listening to me?!" She glared at me.

"Can you please stop talking about your goddamn breakup? It makes you miserable, and when you're miserable I turn miserable!" I snatched my earphones back from her hands and put them back on.

"Maybe I'll stop when you're done with your damn iPod." She folded her arms.

"What?" I shouted as if I couldn't hear her voice. "I'm sorry! Please be a little louder!"

She huffed and rolled her eyes, giving up. "Call me if anything comes up." She walked down the lane towards her house.

I snickered and entered my house. "Hey Mom, I'm home." I said. "Mom?"

"In here, Cookie!" My mother Reneè replied, using the nickname she gave to me ever since I was young. I walked into the kitchen and found her there, smiling.

"How was your day?" She asked.

"It was... fine." I said. "Well, not exactly. Eric broke up with Rosalie."

Reneè cringed. "Is she okay?"

Reneè has never worked ever since she & my father had me. She enjoyed staying at home, though. She kept herself busy with various hobbies. Even though she wasn't working anymore, my family was still quite a well-to-do family.

I waved her question off. "She'll be fine after she punches the bed and couch." I told her. "I'm going up now. Anything else?"

She slid an envelope towards me on the table. "There's a letter for you."

A letter? I rarely got letters from anyone. Nowadays people just email me.

I took it from the table. "Thanks." I went up the stairs and into my room, chucking my bag at the side and falling onto the bed. I quickly took out what was in the envelope and there was an invitation card. It was for a vintage clothing sale and it had a specific time. It was going to be today and at three fifteen in the afternoon. Now was just two forty-seven.

The address was the only odd thing. I've never seen the building for the address before in Forks, and trust me, I know every place in the town.

I quickly headed down to the kitchen again. "Hey Mom?"

"What is it? What's that?" She asked.

"It's just an invitation to something. Do you know where this is at?" I gave her the invitation and she stared at it, frozen.

"You're not allowed to go that sale!" She said sternly.

"Why?" I asked, all my boldness instantly gone. This was the first time she has ever objected against something so fiercely that I was so scared of her.

"Just don't." She stared into my eyes. "I don't want you to end up in something you've never wanted to be in. Being adventurous is deadly."

I didn't understand a word she said. What did she know about this? It was just a sale, wasn't it? I totally got the fact the she didn't have the same flaming passion for vintage clothes like me, but this was on a whole other level.

"Alright, Mom." I replied, walking back up to my room.

Even if my mother didn't approve of it, I wanted to know what made her disapprove. I called up Rosalie and she immediately picked it up.

"So you're finally done with that actually really nice song and you wanna talk to me?" She said, interrupting my hellos. "What's happening?"

"Can you pick me up outside my window now?" I asked.

She was silent for a second. "Bella, what's wrong? What's happening?"

"I just got mail from this shop and I asked my mom if I could go, but she didn't let me." I summarised.

I could hear shuffling on the phone and her tone changed. "Is this shop a vintage one? Does it have a sale?" She asked, serious.

I frowned. "How the hell did you know all of this?"

"Bella, you need to go for this. Right now." She said. "I'm picking you up right now. I'll be down in a minute."

This was one of the most bizarre days I've ever had in my life. What was my best friend and mother keeping from me? Why was my mother so against it when Rosalie was supportive about this? I didn't understand. What did they know that I didn't?

* * *

Welcome to my new story, guys! I know I've got other stories to update, but this just had to come out since I've been holding the idea in for a year. What do you think of this? Should I continue?

Scarlett


	2. Chapter 2

"Psst!" I heard at the window with rocks tapping on it and falling back down to the ground. "Psst!"

I pushed the window up, staring down at Rosalie. She glanced up at me and started typing on her cellphone. My phone beeped a few seconds later.

**U ready?**

I nodded towards her and wondered how I was going to go down. I took my chance and took deep breaths, glancing now and then at the tree right in front of me. I raised myself up on the window sill and quickly threw myself to the tree.

I managed to grab one of the thick branches and was swinging myself towards the lower branches. When I thought that it was low enough for me to let go, I did and landed lightly on my feet.

"I would've mistaken you for a gymnast if I hadn't known who you are." Rosalie complimented me. "Come on now! Hurry up!"

She pulled me by the arm down the lane and she ran. I tried to keep up with her since she had a right grip on me and I couldn't force her hand off me. She looked at me. "Bella, I'm sorry but you really have to go for this. You need to run as fast as you can."

"Why?" I asked, out of breath.

"You want to go for this, right?" She said.

"Well... yeah? But seriously, what's... happening?"

She looked away from me. "I'll tell you later."

She never seemed to have lost her breath. We stopped in front of a warehouse I've never seen before in Forks. It looked so old with the windows looking like it was bashed by kids and moss growing all over it. The only thing that was clean was the door that was made out of metal.

Rosalie pushed the door to the side and it glided smoothly, slowly disappearing in sight. Inside the warehouse was a surprising side to the warehouse. It had a large old chandelier in the middle of the huge hall, making it seem more like an old mansion than an abandoned building.

The rows of vintage clothes made me catch my breath. It was so unbelievable that there were so many beautiful clothes but there just weren't anyone there. Old vintage furniture was perfectly setting the mood and priceless art pieces hung on the large walls. I still couldn't believe what I was seeing.

"Rose, what is this?" I asked, glancing at her.

She grinned. "This shop has been in my family for generations, and this is currently owned by my two cousins, Kate & Tanya Denali."

"Oh." I just said, walking down the stairs and I felt myself being pulled towards the racks of clothes. My fingers touched them and I swear I heard all of them tinkling like a little ankle bracelet around a child's leg beneath my touch. I looked at all the different colours and materials and found some cloth materials that I never thought I would see in reality.

"Welcome, Isabella Swan!" I heard a female voice say and it echoed in the huge place. My head snapped up and I immediately kept my hands to myself when I saw two beautiful women with luscious blond hair and flawless fair skin. One had curly locks and the other's was straight. They seemed to be in their early twenties and they had genuine smiles on their faces, like they've been waiting to see me for a long time.

I started to stutter, blushing. "I... I'm sorry about touching—"

The straight-haired one put her hand up, signalling to me to stop talking. Well, I couldn't blame her. "That's alright. It's natural for us women to be so attracted to such beautiful and prized items. My name is Kate and this is my sister Tanya." She introduced.

"Rosalie said you guys are her cousins?" I said, but my sentence sounded more like a question.

She nodded, her large sapphire earrings clinking with each movement. "Well, not really cousins, but we are related to her in a way that you may not believe."

"Bella, you have to hurry up!" Rosalie's voice suddenly said. "There's honestly no time for talking! Find the dress that attracts you most. Quickly!"

Kate & Tanya looked like they were pulled out of the swimming pool. "Oh! Rose is right! Find the dress! Hurry!" Tanya exclaimed. She then glanced at her sister in embarrassment. "Oh dear, I guess we are getting too old to remember. Once Isabella has gone back in time, we've got to hand Rosalie the list of clients."

Kate laughed at Tanya. "That is utterly true, dear sister. It's a good thing Rose here has the potential to run this business. We've been here for too many centuries."

Rosalie pulled me by the wrist once again and stared deep into my eyes. "Go. Now!"

"What?" I said with confusion. "Wh— I don't understand you! What do you mean? I just... I—"

"Shut up and find the dress you're looking for!" She shouted in my face. "Follow your guts. Just. Look!"

She let me go and I felt weird to my bones. My legs were taking me to somewhere and I couldn't seem to stop them. I was busily tip-toeing around the warehouse because my legs were going at a speed I just couldn't do on my own. My eyes searched the place for the dress that attracted me the most. I just couldn't find it until I saw a hint of red peeking in a stash of old dresses.

This time, I had control of my feet. I walked slowly as if the red dress was a scared child and when I touched it, I felt like I was zapped with electricity that was not even painful, but it felt powerful beneath my fingertips. It surged through my veins and I immediately took it off the row of dresses.

I stepped out of the rack of dresses that seemed like it belonged at a photo shoot and found Rosalie & her cousins talking amongst themselves.

"Hey guys?" I called out, making them snap out of their conversation and stare at me. "Where's the dressing room?"

Rosalie pointed East. "That way. Continue walking until you see a bunch of red velvet curtains hung up."

Kate & Tanya smiled at each other as if they appreciated her help.

"Uhm... alright." I said, giving a small smile at my best friend and walked in the direction she pointed me to. I found the dressing room and inside was just a small space and a stool at the corner with a mirror on the wall. I stripped down and when I went to put on the dress, it just fitted me like a second skin.

I gasped when I accidentally looked at myself in the long mirror. With my hair pinned up in a bun, I really looked like I just stepped out of a time machine. The dress was blood red with a deep red cloth hanging at the side of the dress. The hobble skirt flowed freely around my calves and the sleeves of the dress ended just right above my elbows. It had another deep red cloth plunging down my neckline and weirdly, the dress smelled like it just took a dip in the sewer, though.

I came out of the room and found all three of the relatives standing in a straight line, waiting for me to come out. When Kate & Tanya saw me in the dress, their smiles changed into ones of wistfulness. I wondered why.

Rosalie had a wide happy smile on her face. "You look gorgeous in this! Oh my gosh, give me a hug!" She chortled. She ran to me and grabbed me into a hug. She spun me around and I was dizzy for a second. She froze, then let me go. She stared at her cousins. "Why does this dress smell bad?"

Kate sighed, her eyes not making any contact with ours. Tanya bit her lip.

Rosalie eyed their actions. "What happened to Bella when she wore this dress?" She said with a low and edgy tone to her voice.

None of them answered.

"Guys?" She demanded. "What the hell happened to Bella in her previous life?"

"Previous life?" I choked out. "Rosalie, what—"

Rosalie looked at me and her hateful eyes scared me. Her emotions changed fast. Realisation dawned on her. "Oh! Uhm Bella, this is going to be unbelievable but Kate & Tanya aren't _exactly_ my cousins. You see, they're like, what? Seven hundred years old?"

"What?" I raised my eyebrows. "You're _kidding_ right? _Right?_"

She gulped. "Well... no..."

"We were granted immortality when we took a vow to be the next caretakers of these dresses seven centuries ago." Tanya spoke up. "These dresses are extremely valuable because these are old, and very much tainted with... magic."

I chuckled in disbelief. "Magic? Like, _you-throw-in-the-live-rabbit-into-a-top-hat-and-it-disappears_ kind of magic?"

"No," Rosalie laughed. "_Magic_ magic. It's the kind of magic which you always read about, you know. Witches and spells. _That_ kind of magic."

"And you expect me to believe in that?" I leered at them.

She folded her arms. "Wait until you faint in ten seconds."

My head started spinning by the time she said that. Everyone just seemed to go slow-motion on me but I could hear Rosalie's words clearly when I was falling to the ground.

Rosalie's blurred face came into my sight. "Told you so." She whispered before it all turned black.

* * *

So how do you like it so far? This has been inspired by a book I love reading and it kind of messed up my mind. I was even dreaming that I went back in time in a vintage dress!

Scarlett


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up staring at a high ceiling and I could see a wooden bedpost. I couldn't recognise where I was.

I sat up, looking right in front of me. I found myself in the dress I fainted in— the red beautiful dress. The weird thing was that there was no stench from it.

"Isabella, you're awake!" I heard a familiar voice exclaim.

I turned to my right and frowned. "Rose?"

She was Rosalie, but something told me she wasn't _Rosalie_ Rosalie. She had on a similar dress, but hers was a buttercup yellow. She had a matching large hat with feathers sticking out at one side. I first thought that it was a prank set up for me.

She poured some tea from the porcelain pot that was beside her on the bedside table and into the small little tea cups. "You really shouldn't eat so much during breakfast," Rosalie started, "I get that you did not eat dinner last night, but do not binge! Do you know how tiring it is to loosen the lace from your corset?"

Corset? Where the heck was I? I felt my back and sure enough, I could feel untied ribbons. _I_ was wearing a corset.

Rosalie stared at me. "Is there something wrong?"

"Where am I?" I asked.

"You're at home, Isabella. If you really don't feel well, you should probably continue resting." She replied, worried.

"Rosalie, where am I? What city is this?" I asked, my voice threateningly low.

She blinked away her sudden fear and frowned. "Chicago. Is there really something wrong, Isabella?"

Chicago? How the hell did I end up in Chicago? Why were we wearing corsets? Why aren't we wearing jeans and tees? I was utterly confused. If we were in corsets and huge dresses like this, I had to be in the wrong time, except that time-traveling was impossible... was it? I didn't know.

"Rose?" I started. "What's the date today?"

"February ninth, nineteen eighteen." She replied without hesitation.

When I heard the year, my heart thudded faster. How did I get here? 1918 was less than a century ago but ninety years ago. I honestly didn't know what was happening.

I spotted a window on the wall beside the French doors and I threw the covers of the bed off me. I ran to the window and could not believe what I saw.

There were quite a number of horse carriages and a few cars, but I don't think I'd even call it a car. The cars had open windows and... looked so slow. Boys were riding bicycles, but not like the ones in my time. From above, I could only recognise women from their huge feathered hats. Rosalie wasn't kidding. I was in a different time.

"Edward came by just now. He just left a few minutes ago. Even though he's arrogant, he cares a lot about you," Rosalie chuckled.

I whipped my head towards her direction. "Edward?" I was confused. I didn't know anyone by that name.

"Yes. Surprising, isn't it?" She smiled.

"Who's Edward?" I asked.

She immediately looked at me with scrutiny. "Are you sure you are fine or are you jesting around?"

I sighed. "I'm not kidding! Who is he?" I was close to whining.

She probably heard the desperation in my voice. "Edward Cullen is your fiancé. You both are to be married in four days time."

Edward Cullen. Honestly, that name never rang a bell, but a fiancé? I nearly died when I heard Rosalie say that.

"How... how old _am_ I?"

"Isabella, please stop asking all these bizarre questions." She pouted. "I'm really tired! If you don't remember anyone, I think we need to call in the doctor—"

"How old am I?" I asked.

Rosalie huffed. "Seventeen years."

I was still seventeen, but I was going to get married. I didn't want to stay in this era any longer. I hated it. How did I get here? I looked down at the dress I was wearing. It most probably had something I do with it.

I prayed silently as I shook my head. "Please send me back home... please..." I whispered. I opened my eyes and still found myself in the same room with the same scenery outside the window and in the same dress.

Frustration came over me and I stomped my foot like a child throwing a tantrum. "Ugh!" I screamed. "What did I do wrong to deserve this?!"

Rosalie stood up from the rocking chair beside my bed and walked over to me. "That is it. What is your problem?" She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

Her glare reminded me so much of the best friend I have back in my time. I missed and wanted to go back home.

"Nothing..." I stuttered. It seemed like she didn't know about time-traveling like her other self in my era, so I couldn't exactly tell her anything without being put in a mental asylum.

There were only two people left that could help me out. Kate & Tanya. They knew about what sort of magic it would take to bring me home, but where would I find them?

"You have cousins by the name of Tanya & Kate... right?" I asked. She slowly nodded, wondering where this was heading. "Are they somewhere around...?"

She pointed to my door and her posture shifted. "They're just right outside. They heard you fainted, so they decided to visit you."

They knew. They knew I was coming. Why else would they visit me?

"Outside...," I muttered as I yanked the French doors open. I glanced out of the door that looked so much like a 5-star hotel hallway. I found two women with strawberry-blond hair and a man with copper-bronze hair.

I recognised Kate & Tanya immediately.

"Tanya! Kate!" I hollered and their heads snapped up.

The sisters smiled. "Isabella, you're awake! Are you alright now?" Kate asked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm okay." I crossed my arms, meaning serious business.

They glanced at each other uneasily and I could tell that they just realised I wasn't exactly myself that belonged to this era.

"Isabella," I heard the bronze-haired man grumble.

I didn't really look at his face when he was talking to Tanya & Kate. He was absolutely gorgeous, with chiseled cheekbones like a Greek god and piercing emerald eyes with a little of golden around the green. His lips were perfectly shaped. His skin was fair and flawless. He was lean and fairly skinny, but he had just the right amount of muscles.

My breath escaped from my mouth with a whooshing sound at his beauty.

His eyes were hard and cold and his cheekbones strained against his skin. He was clearly unhappy. Unhappy was probably not the right word, though.

He walked towards me briskly and grabbed me by the wrist. Sudden electricity bursted through my veins and I felt goosebumps on my arms.

I felt like he was going to break my wrist and I tried to release myself from his crushing grip. I winced as he wrapped his hand tighter around my wrist.

"Ow!" I snarled. "What is wrong with you?"

His eyes flared with rage. "What is wrong with _you_? You don't eat dinner, and then you eat too much during breakfast until your body cannot take it and you faint?" His voice was soft and low, but there was an edge to his voice.

I felt frightened. Who was he, and how dare he tell me off like that?

"Who the hell do you think you are?" I replied in the same tone as his. "I'm not your goddamn toy that you can just chuck away and blame everything on!"

By his expression, he looked taken aback by my words. He recovered from shock quickly and his cold hard stare was back.

"You better show up for dinner later tonight. I don't want a repeat of this morning tomorrow." He hissed, letting go of me and stomping off, his chest heaving with anger.

* * *

Well, how did you enjoy it? Sorry about Edward... he's a little moody today. XD

One of you requested for the book that inspired this story, and I'm going to give it to you! It's called The Time Travelling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky. It's a really great book, and there's a second one as well.

Rosalie didn't time-travel with Bella. If you realise that the Rosalie in 1918 doesn't even know about it, that's because Tanya & Kate haven't told her. Something will make them change their minds, though.

Stay tuned!

Scarlet


	4. Chapter 4

My wrist was awfully sore as I twisted it clockwise and anti-clockwise. I stared at the handsome man who was walking away from me in an anger that formed unexplainably. I didn't understand why he was so mad at me.

Tanya & Kate were right there, watching our interaction. My other hand supported my sore wrist. They ran over to me with horrified eyes.

"Isabella, are you alright?" Kate asked in a small voice. She looked down at my wrist and winced. "That bruise is really bad."

I didn't realise there was a bruise. There was a purple that was quickly spreading. I looked like I was probably struggling in handcuffs.

I almost forgot the reason why I came to find them and removed my hands from their view. They quickly looked up at me.

"You know what's happening," I said menacingly. "What am I doing here?"

"It's your first time travelling." Tanya whispered, glancing at Kate. "Finally."

They shared a smile. I wondered what was so good about it.

"I'm still waiting for an answer, you know." I glared at the both of them.

Kate huffed. "Ever so impatient, aren't you, Bella?"

"So you've met me. Before. In different eras." I stated.

"Well yes, obviously." She replied. "Now, what do you need?"

I took a deep breath. "Take me home. Take me back to my time. Please." I begged.

Kate swallowed, raising her eyebrow. "Well that's new."

Tanya glared at her sister. "Keep quiet! It's her first time!" She looked at me and softened her eyes. "I'm utterly sorry for dragging you into a situation you never wanted to be in."

"Why am I here?" I let my walls down and showed my vulnerable, scared self to the two women who were responsible for my being here. I shivered in fear and tears threatened to spill. "Why... why?"

Kate hugged me. "Oh Bella, you shouldn't be so sad. Look at it this way— you've got a gift from your ancestors. Your female relatives, even the distant ones, are clients of our store. Your ancestor volunteered herself towards this beautiful and amazing journey and gave her descendants a wonderful opportunity to relive their past lives."

At least one question was answered. "If it's like that, why would my mother not allow me to come here?"

I couldn't read the emotion that flickered across her beautiful face, but she still gave me the answer I needed. "Your mother refused to go back in time when something horrible happened in what she decided was her last trip ever."

My mother was basically just trying to protect me, then. She didn't want me to experience anything horrifying like she did. What did she experience, though? I didn't want to ask Tanya or Kate. It was my mother's story to tell.

"How do I... get back home?" I asked.

Kate let me go and shook her head. "We don't control the dress. The dress picks when to bring you back to your time. We have nothing to do with it. We're just caretakers."

"So... you don't know when I might be able to go back home?" I pursed my lips.

She shook her head again. "Sorry."

Tanya bit her lip. "Perhaps you'd like to change out of the dress. It clearly stresses you out."

I nodded and told them I'd see them soon. They left not long after that.

I went into the bedroom again, glancing at Rosalie. She was busy taking tiny sips of her tea. She put it down and stood up.

"Isabella, honestly... what's the problem?" She asked. "You can tell me anything! I'm your friend."

Before she could do anything else, she stared at my hand. She gasped. "Who did that to you?" She growled.

I instantly became frightened of her. "It's nothing... It's just—"

"It's Edward, isn't it?" She interrupted me.

So that man was Edward, my fiancé? How could he be so... rough on me? I didn't understand why we were to be married soon.

"I just... I just..." I couldn't come up with a lie. I was staring at my bruised wrist. I couldn't think of anything.

She sighed. "I'm letting you off this time. Next time, I'm confronting him."

I frowned. "Why are we getting married to each other?"

"He was courting you, so he talked to your father and now you both are engaged. You said yes, of course." She rolled her eyes. "You both have such a dysfunctional relationship. You are so afraid of him, but you love him. He loves you, but he's always angry at you for a reason that I don't know."

Dysfunctional, indeed. I wondered what drove him to such limits.

"Hey Rose, can you help me pick out a dress? I need to change." I told her. She drifted towards a big wardrobe and opened it. It creaked loudly and I gritted my teeth.

She searched through the wardrobe and took out an ice blue dress with a hobble skirt. The silk material under the ice blue floral lace was a tone darker than the lace. Its sleeves were off the shoulders and ended right below where my elbows were supposed to be.

"How about this one?" Rosalie felt the material and sighed contentedly.

"It's gorgeous," I replied. She immediately pushed me behind the clothes divider. I removed my dress and was having some trouble lacing up the loosened corset. My stomach felt like dying in it.

Rosalie heard my groans. "Isabella? Do you need help?"

I sighed in relief. "Yeah. Just tie the lace up."

She picked up the ribbons laced on my corset and started pulling on it so hard I felt my stomach being sucked in. I knocked against the hard piece of undergarment and tried to breathe normally.

"It's all done." Rosalie said. "Time for the dress."

I slid it on me from above and it glided against my skin, not showing any difficulties. The corset probably helped.

"You look beautiful, darling," Rosalie sniffed. "Give me a hug. I think I know how I'd react when I see you in your wedding dress."

I walked stiffly towards Rosalie and wrapped my arms around her. I felt her silky golden hair beneath my fingertips and got jealous. She was way more beautiful than me, even if I was in this stunning dress.

"Let's go for dinner now," she smiled. "I'll bet you would be a stunner at the table."

"Why am I wearing such a beautiful dress to dinner at home?" I asked. "And what happened to lunch?"

"You slept through lunch, and this dinner isn't any ordinary dinner." She explained. "This is a formal one. Edward's parents are coming over."

"Oh." I just said. There were more people I needed to meet. Perfect.

She didn't need to change. She already looked dazzling in her soft buttercup yellow dress. She removed her large hat and her bunned up golden hair fell to her chest.

"Ugh, I shouldn't wear this in indoors, but I forgot about it." She did her hair up into a twist and straightened her dress.

"You're coming?" I asked.

"Yes!" She replied. "I'm your bridesmaid and Edward's cousin. Of course I'm invited to the dinner!"

She was Edward's cousin? I was discovering so many things in one day that my brain was hurting.

I frowned. "Alright. Let's go. We can't be late and we can't ditch at the last minute."

She led me into the dining room, which was huge with a high ceiling. A chandelier was hung right in the middle of the rectangle ceiling and the table was made out of polished rosewood. China plates and cups were placed very accurately beside each other and gold forks and spoons were placed together.

The dining table was seated with people already. I recognised my parents immediately, although it felt strange that they were here too but they weren't the ones back in my time.

Reneè stood up and hugged me. My heart was filled with warmth. "You look breathtaking, Isabella."

"Thanks Mom." I instantly replied. She pulled back and gave me a strange look. "I... I mean... Mother. Yeah."

She let me go and I gave my father Charlie a peck on the cheek. He smiled through his moustache.

I found Edward sitting beside an empty chair, which I quickly sat down at. Edward called my name.

"Isabella." He said, and my head snapped up towards his direction. His eyes were still cold with hatred and anger.

"What do you want?" I hissed. I held the wrist where I got my bruise.

He saw my sudden movement and his eyes caught a glimpse of the bruise. I hid my hand behind my back.

"Don't hide it from me!" He said in a low threatening tone like just now.

I brought my hand back out again and he examined it. He touched the bruise and I flinched. He looked into my eyes and for the first time ever, I could actually see his eyes soften.

"I did this to you, didn't I?" He whispered. I was so dazzled by the way the hostile haze had finally cleared up and I could see him in another light.

I nodded, dazed.

He was careful not to touch the bruise again and he grabbed my uninjured hand, standing up. I stood up too and followed wherever he was going to. We ended up in a kitchen and he opened up what seemed to be an old version of a refrigerator. He slipped out a handkerchief from his pocket and grabbed three ice cubes with it. He wrapped them with the handkerchief and raised my wounded wrist again.

He placed it on the wrist and I hissed at the sudden change of temperature. He lifted the handkerchief again. "Sorry," he muttered. He slowly put it back on my wrist. "How do you feel now?" He whispered.

"I'm fine." I replied. The bruise was starting to feel numb. He slowly lifted my wrist above my heart.

"Isabella, I'm sorry for hurting you like this," he looked deep into my eyes.

I gave him a soft smile. "This bruise is nothing."

His face was coming closer and closer towards mine and his lips pressed against my cheek. A stronger surge of electricity flowed through us and I flushed. After two minutes, we went back into the dining room. I now felt like I didn't want to leave for home anytime soon, and it was all because of a certain mesmerizing pair of green eyes.

* * *

Bella has finally seen the light. *cue angelic voices*

So what do you think will happen soon, hmm? Leave some comments below! I like hearing from all of you.

Scarlett


	5. Chapter 5

After that night, Edward had stopped with his kind act that I just so happened to fall prey to and continued being cold to me.

I didn't understand him at all. If he loved me, why was he so cold towards me? Rosalie couldn't figure it out too. Was it something I (or the self that was meant to inhabit this body) did in the past or was it something different all together?

Officially one of the greatest mysteries of mankind.

I couldn't help but think about it as I went to put on my outfit of the day: a lavender purple dress with dark sewn floral patterns on it. I was starting to think that I used to love wearing flowers on my dresses.

I decided to explore Chicago in 1910s and had put on a matching hat with white feathers on the shorter side of the hat. It was perfectly balanced. I quickly headed out with an old-fashioned umbrella and opened it up. It was a hot day. I lifted my large skirt up when I walked down the porch. The dress was a hard thing to walk in.

I looked around at all the signboards and directions. I walked along the river I suddenly recognised.

The Chicago river was polluted with trash. Back in my time, it was already cleaned, but the pollutant levels were still high. The Chicago river in my time looked like nothing compared to the one I was seeing now in terms of pollution.

I walked along the river, following the direction of where it might lead me.

Soon, I found a bridge that many locals were using. I knew what bridge it was just from the first glance— the North State Bridge. I walked over to the very side of it and stared down at the river.

It felt so familiar to me. Its smell wasn't pleasant at all. It was disgusting and utterly unappealing to the eyes. My mind immediately went to the red dress that transported me to this time. When I wore it back in my time, it smelt exactly like—

"Isabella, what are you doing here?" I heard Edward growl from behind.

I looked at him and frowned. "Edward?" How did he get here?

He walked towards me and he wore a cold mask. "What do you think you're doing here? Why are you even standing so close to the waters?" He roared in my face.

I felt myself growing in anger. "What the hell were you doing here in the first place?"

I walk here from my home!" Edward replied back. "What were you thinking? Are you suicidal?" He asked. "Isabella, we're getting out of here now."

"No!" I shouted back. "What do you think you're doing, ordering me around? What am I to you? A slave?"

"Isabella—" he started, but I stopped him.

"No! You listen to me!" I was pushing at his chest with my pointer finger. "You're going to give me another bruise and treat it again later but ignore me for the next few days, aren't you? Who do you think you are, huh? Breaking open and mending my wounds all over again? Why do you do this to me, Edward? Why?"

"Isabella, what happened to you?" He growled. "Why are you like this all of a sudden? You know what, I don't care anymore. Do whatever you want to do. I mean it."

"Fine! You're so bipolar, you know! Always having split personalities! I'm sick of it! I'm _so_ sick of it! What happened to you? I know you weren't like this!" I told him off. "Why are you doing this to me? Is there something wrong with me that makes you look at me like I'm something revolting? I just... I can't... do this... anymore. I can't."

Tears fell down my face and I curled up, hugging my knees. I sobbed into my skirt and closed my eyes, not daring to look at his furious eyes.

I felt a warm hand touch my wet cheek and I jolted away from it. "Go away," I told him. "You're still going to do the same thing to me over and over. I wonder why I even agreed to marry you."

I really wondered why. My previous self couldn't have been this stupid to marry a man who tortures her every single day with and without hurting her physically and mentally. I wondered what she saw behind this pair of green eyes.

"Isabella," his voice was soft and soothing, but I knew better from the first time to not trust a word he said. His apologies were useless. No matter how many times he told me he was sorry, he had still gone and done it. "Isabella, I don't want you to be hurt. That's why I'm so harsh on you. I'm sorry."

"No you're not." I said through my teeth. "You don't want me to be hurt, but you're the one who's hurting me. You're such a hypocrite. Get away from me," I hissed.

"I'm not leaving you here." He told me, this time out of pure irritation and worry.

"Well, yeah. You better leave me alone here because I most certainly didn't ask you to stay." I replied.

"Don't do this to me—"

"_Don't_ do this to _me_," I bit back my vile words as I opened my mouth. "I can't do this anymore. I'm serious. Go... Give me some space."

* * *

Oh dear... well, cut them some slack. I promise you guys that they'll make up as soon as possible. And gosh, what's wrong with Edward?

Scarlett


	6. Chapter 6

Edward finally left me alone at the bridge.

I was slightly relieved that he left me alone. I couldn't bear seeing him. Just when I was close to falling in love with him, he showed me that I had put in all of my effort for nothing.

I knew that people were staring as they headed their own ways, and as they stared, I continued crying. I preferred to be left alone on a public bridge than to be in a room with only Edward alone.

I felt an old, wrinkly hand on mine.

"Dear, are you alright?" The voice of an old lady asked.

I looked up, my tears staining my flushed cheeks. The old lady was petite and short. She had a certain soothing, calming aura around her. She looked so familiar that I just couldn't put my finger on it.

I shook my head, wiping my tears away. "I'm fine. It's nothing, really." I tried to smile through my tears, but it seemed like I was grimacing.

"Darling, you are absolutely not fine!" She said.

That was when something in me click.

"Oh my god," I said. "You're Rosalie's grandmother."

She nodded, smiling. "You know my granddaughter?"

"She's my best friend." I replied.

She then waved off the topic. "You can tell me what is wrong. Come now," she gestured toward me to stand up and I complied.

"How about some tea at the porch? I'm sure you'll feel better afterwards." She said as she led me to her house.

"Thank you." I smiled in gratitude.

She patted my hand. "Don't thank me. You need it. You look like you have been through a lot."

I frowned. "How old are you?"

Her forehead wrinkled. "I was born in eighteen fifty-six. That makes me somewhere around sixty."

"Sixty-two," I told her, my mind instantly calculating. Gosh, if she ever lived to my time I could guarantee her that she was going to be the oldest person on the planet. 1856 was a long time ago.

"Don't frown, darling. You wouldn't want wrinkles at such a young age." She advised.

I didn't realise I was frowning and immediately straightened my face.

When we arrived at her home, she ordered one of the maids in the house to make tea. We sat on wooden wonderfully carved chairs and tea was served almost immediately. Steam from the tea was billowing towards the North.

She poured tea for me and herself. Her hands were strong. "So what's your name, dear?"

I blinked a lot. "Bella."

"What happened to you at the bridge, Bella?" She asked.

"My fiancè... he has a habit of breaking me mentally." I admitted. "Whenever he realises what he's done, he takes care of me for a day then becomes cold to me again. I love him and he loves me too, but it just doesn't seem like we're doing things right. I fear him when he's around. He overpowers me whenever he's in the room.

"When I finally tell him off, he would be questioning my sanity." I gulped, shaking my head. "I don't want to live in fear anymore."

I sobbed into my hands and Rosalie's grandmother handed me a handkerchief. I thanked her.

"He says he's harsh on me because he doesn't want me to get hurt when I already am by him, emotionally and physically. He's such a hypocrite, and yet I love him so much." I continued. It wasn't me who loved him so much— it was my previous self.

She sighed. "I get why you still stay with him. Many women would have already broken off the engagement if they were you. But you're determined to get through this, to possibly change his ways. Maybe he loves you too, but just doesn't know how to love and care for you. That's sometimes the case for men."

Her words were true. Everyone could confirm that he loved me, but he probably didn't know how to show his love.

"Change his ways, then." Rosalie's grandmother said, smiling. "You'll be surprised by how much love he actually has for you."

I smiled through my tears and wiped then off my cheeks. "How would you like me to call you?"

"Mrs. Cullen would be nice." She replied.

I forgot that Rosalie was Edward's cousin. Of course they would share the same grandmother.

"Oh." I just said.

She must have caught the shock in my tone. "What is it?"

"You're Edward's grandmother too, aren't you?" I asked.

She nodded slowly, wondering where I was going. "Why, dear?"

"I... uhm, I... I just—" I stuttered a lot as I looked away from her. "Edward's my... fiancé."

She stayed silent for five seconds before breathing out heavily. "Well, what you just described was possible that it's him. I believe you, Bella. What did you think I was going to do with you? Kick you out? Kill you?" She chuckled, shaking her head. "Edward has always been very affectionate with the females that are related to him, so probably he just doesn't know how to... be affectionate towards you. He's probably just scared you may reject him."

I sighed in relief and shook my head. "Why would he think that? There is no way I can possibly do that to him."

She grinned, showing off her teeth that only had two holes that used to be filled in with her teeth. "Well that's good. Be kind to him. Peel every layer of his and you might just find a soft, kind but possessive Edward."

She was right. I was glad to have met her in this era. Her gene must've passed on to Rosalie, because she had the same violet eyes as Rosalie. It made me feel warm in my heart, having to talk to someone I knew.

She sighed, then leaned in towards me. "Bella, can I tell you a little secret? I don't think Edward has told you this since he's very... cold towards you."

I nodded carefully, not wanting her to see how eager I was to learn something new about Edward.

"Edward is... Edward is adopted, actually," she said. "His birth parents died in a train-wreck when he was two years old. He still keeps his original last name, but as a middle name. Masen was his last name."

I felt a painful pang in my chest and I instantly leaned back into the chair, staring at the teacup in front of me. "Oh my god." I just said. I should've known this. Pity and sadness were the first emotions I felt when she told me that little piece of information.

I ran back home after finishing my cup of hot tea with Mrs. Cullen and was looking for Edward. I wanted to make things right between the both of us.

Rosalie was the first person I saw when I entered the door.

She frowned. "Isabella? What's wrong?"

I panted, holding her arm. "Where's Edward?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Edward hasn't come back home yet. He usually stops by before he gets home, but I don't think he's home yet."

Maybe he was home, but skipped the house. I told him to leave me alone. He did.

"Rose, if I don't come back for dinner, then I'm having dinner at Edward's." I told her, letting go of her arm.

She grabbed my arm again. "I'm following you. I need to get back home. Edward's is just two blocks away from mine."

I nodded and she wore on her velvet hat. We went out and we walked. I pretended to know where Edward's house was. She still didn't know about the time-traveling situation.

She stopped in front of an old big mansion that was made out of old bricks. I gawked at its authentic-looking architecture. It was so beautiful and moss covered the red bricks.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Isabella." Rosalie kissed my cheeks. "Have fun."

"Okay!" I replied. "Uhm... see you tomorrow too!"

I kissed her cheeks in return and quickly ran to the porch of the old house. I knocked the door fast and it took a few seconds before someone opened it.

Edward was taken aback by my unexpected arrival.

"Isabella," he frowned. All his hostility was gone. "What are you doing here?"

"Bella." I corrected him. "Call me Bella. I honestly don't like it when people call me Isabella."

"Okay. Bella, what are you doing here?" He asked again.

I grinned. "Why? I can't see my fiancé?"

He frowned further upon my strange behaviour. "Is there something wrong?"

I shook my head and quickly grabbed him into a hug. I laid my head on his chest and he froze, like I've never done that to him before.

He then softened and wrapped his arms around me. He sighed. "Bella, I'm so sorry."

I smiled, my eyes closed as I hummed to a happy tune in my head. "Hmm." I replied. "You don't have anything to worry about, Edward. Nothing."

He shook his head, laughter rumbling in his chest. "I can never understand you nowadays."

I clutched on him tighter. "And I have never understood you my whole life." I told him. "We should hug more often." I said after a few seconds of silence.

"I love you. So much." He said.

To hear those words from his mouth was a dream. I scrunched up my face. "Is this reality or just an illusion?"

"I'm pretty sure it's reality, although I've never seen it so clear before." He replied.

"That's exactly what I thought."

* * *

Yay! They're in good terms now! Finally. Their voices have been screaming at me in my head that they should be on good terms by now. I'm glad I could satisfy them and you guys. LOL

To be honest, I don't even know how many chapters there'll be. I was thinking of writing a sequel too. My mind immediately thinks of writing sequels even when I'm just at the first chapter of a story. I don't know why.

How did you guys like it?

Scarlett


	7. Chapter 7

"I don't think I've been here before," I told Edward. We were still in his house. I stared at the lavish furnishings and immediately knew that he was from a high-class family.

He frowned. "You have been. I'm sure about that."

"Then I probably don't remember," I replied, faking a smile as he noticed my slip up. I hoped he was going to let me off.

"Do you want a tour, then?" He asked.

I jumped on my toes. "Sure! Take me anywhere you want."

He placed his lips close to my forehead. "Can I kiss you?"

"Yeah," my reply was a shaky breathy whisper.

He pressed his lips on my forehead and electricity fueled my heart rate to go faster. I reacted fast by pulling his head down to mine and moving my lips against his urgently. I pulled him closer, tiptoeing and grazing his hair through my fingers.

He didn't know what to do at first, but his response was what I wanted. He kissed me back, his arms winding around me tighter. I pulled back a little, stopping. He gave me a couple of short kisses before letting me go.

I smiled. "That was amazing." I said, feeling his soft hair between my fingers for one last time before I pulled my hands back to my sides.

He chuckled softly, his crooked smile appearing. "Yes it was."

"Now that's another thing we should do more often." I joked even when I meant it.

He swooped in for another short kiss and entangled his fingers with mine when he pulled away. "I'll show you around."

He took me down to the first room on the second floor since the first floor was just the kitchen and living room and they were huge, as they occupied the whole of the first floor.

Edward opened the door of the room and it was filled with shelves of books. I was immediately taken aback by the collection of books in the large room. I wasn't exactly surprised to see that we weren't alone.

"Those are my maternal grandparents. They love being in this room, especially when I'm in here." Edward said.

His grandparents glanced at me and waved, giving me a polite smile. I waved back.

"Why?" I asked.

Edward pointed to the piano that was placed near the corner of the room. "I play the piano. When I play a piece, they start to slow-dance together."

My lips curved up a little. "Oh my god, that's so sweet."

He pulled me towards the piano and he let me sit down first before him. He cracked his knuckles before laying his fingers on the keys.

"Is this the only instrument you play?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. I play the violin and saxophone. You?"

I grinned. "I play the piano too. Violin? A little."

"Then why don't you start off with your piece first?" he said. "What are you going to play for us?"

I glanced at Edward's grandparents who were already dancing. I was wondering why since I hadn't laid my hands on the piano yet.

"The first song I've learnt how to play— Goldberg Variations. My mother loved playing this at home and I got interested, so she taught me how to play." I told Edward.

Edward frowned. "Never heard of that song before."

Whoops. Slip up. Goldberg Variations was composed in 1981.

I shrugged it off. "Uhm... this song has been in our family for generations." I lied. "No outsider should be allowed to play this piece."

I started at the high notes and my fingers floated along the black and white keys. I kind of got lost in the soft, calming tone that my fingers remembered how to play. I almost forgot that Edward and his grandparents were present. I glanced at Edward's grandparents and they were stuck in their world, staring into each other's eyes. It was nice seeing that their love was still going strong.

After I hit the last note, there was silence. I knew something was wrong.

"Edward?" I said without looking at his face. "Uhm... did I do something wrong or what?"

Still silence.

I finally looked up at him and saw him staring at me in awe and fascination. I frowned. "Edward?"

"Bella," he started, "has anyone ever told you how amazing you are?"

"What?" I was taken aback by his words. "Uhm, no." I shook my head, answering his question.

He kissed my lips without any other physical contact. It was just our lips meeting each other and nothing else. He pulled away and kissed my cheek.

He pulled me into his arms, my back against his chest and he circled his arms around my body. He pointed toward his grandparents who were still dancing with no music.

"You see them?" He said. "The reason why they can't seem to get the message that the music has stopped is because firstly, they have impaired hearing."

"They're... deaf?" I whispered.

He nodded. "Old age. Now secondly, even if they're can't hear us, they should still stop since they usual know when something's off. But they're so in love with each other, they never stopped dancing." I could hear admiration in his voice. "I love you and I sure as _hell_ want to marry you, have kids and grow old with you. I want us to be like them– still in love even after multiple of fights and decades of putting up with each other."

My heart grew warm just hearing him say that with such perseverance and  
seriousness and his arms tightened around me. He kissed my hair and I returned his kiss by placing his palm on my lips. I smiled as my lips lingered there.

"Oh!" Edward suddenly said after a few seconds. "I have been keeping this to myself, and I almost forgot about it."

His arms unwrapped around me and his fingers were placed on the piano keys. I missed his warmth but my eyes stayed on his fingers. The sweet, sweet tune that I have never heard of before quickly made up for Edward's touch and I closed my eyes, placing my head on Edward's shoulder.

"What's this piece called?" I asked.

I could hear the smile and happiness in his voice when I asked him that. "Bella's Lullaby."

* * *

I can't believe I wrote such a sappy chapter! I don't normally do that and this makes me want to cry (in a good way) and I'm so proud! Ah! And I know that I took a little too much time to update (sorry guys) but I've been really busy (isn't _everyone_ busy?) but that definitely does _not_ mean that I don't have time for you all (*cringes* well, sometimes)!

Questions? Ask! I'll be glad to straighten out a few stuff with you guys.

Scarlett


	8. Chapter 8

I almost I forgot that I didn't belong in 1918.

It had been a few days since the wedding and we moved into this house with grey bricks and hibiscus flowers were growing all over it. It was perfect, with bushes of roses and daisies surrounding the house like fences. It had a main white door as an entrance. Edward's parents and mine pitched in when buying the house.

"My parents didn't need to pay for us this lovely home, since I have inheritance from my birth parents," Edward said a few days ago, "but they have money too and decided it was not enough to just get me married to you." he rolled his eyes.

This morning, he talked me into taking a stroll around the city. He grabbed an umbrella, a coat for himself and my coat. He passed my hat to me and he wore his on. Once we were out, he opened the umbrella, shading us from the sun even though we had hats on our heads.

"It is such a cold day and yet the sun is beating down on us," he commented.

"That just doesn't make sense!" I laughed.

He smiled. "I am glad I amuse you. I like listening to you laugh."

I flushed and I sucked in a cheek, my eyes facing up, acting stuck-up. "Whatever."

It was his turn to laugh. "When did you turn into such a fiery yet shy lady?"

I shrugged. "I don't know either."

We walked along the streets, observing the people around us. I looked forward and squinted, since sunglasses weren't invented yet or wasn't widely used by the public.

As we arrived at the North State Bridge, l instantly ran to the side of the bridge, looking down. Edward quickly followed after me, tension rolling off of him in waves.

"Bella, be careful!" He said.

"Edward, it's okay. I'm fine." I assured him. I stared at the river, cocking my head to the side. "Don't you think it's time for someone to clean the river up?"

He walked to my side slowly. "Well, it _is_ quite dirty after all. The factories down the river have been polluting this river."

As I accidentally smelt the stench from the river, I was quickly reminded of the red dress that was responsible for my being here. It smelled exactly like this river. Perhaps it was somewhat related to what would happen to my previous self which I was currently using her body on loan (sarcasm intended). Question is, what was the link between the Chicago River and the beautiful red dress?

If the time came for me to go back, would I be able to let go of everything that I've experienced here? Would there be a specific time that I had to go back? If I left, would I be able to live without Edward? No, I wouldn't. Obviously not. Should I tell him about the time-travelling thing?

I internally debated with my subconscious until Edward startled me out of the argument.

"Bella, are you okay?"

I pursed my lips, looking down. "Edward, what would you do if one day, I was... gone. Without a trace. What would you do?"

He sighed heavily, running his fingers through his hair, exasperated. I realised his hat was in his other hand. "Bella, I will find you and I will stop only when I have you in my arms." He replied, looking straight into my eyes. "What brought this on?"

I shook my head immediately. "Nothing."

He grabbed me by the shoulders, staring deep into my eyes. "If you ever are missing, I will not eat or drink or rest until I find you, understand? Do you know how important you are to me? I care about you too much to let that slip through my fingers."

He let me go and I took a deep breath. "Okay." I responded.

"Edward!"

A girl who looked like she was around my age was running in her taffeta emerald green dress towards us. She was 4'2", with wavy long dark brown hair that she didn't bother to tie up, but she wore her white hat to the side as if it was going to be a trend women were going to follow. Her white heels clicked with every step she took. She was grinning wildly.

"Edward!" She shouted.

Edward frowned. "Alice?"

She immediately embraced him and hugged him tightly. I stared at the girl whose name was Alice. Who was she? She was obviously someone close if she was hugging him. She let him go and a blond man with brown eyes was standing behind her, smiling politely.

Alice looked up at me and smiled, glancing at Edward. "Greetings, dear brother. And who might this beautiful young lady be?" She asked.

"Alice, I'd like to introduce to you my bride, Isabella." Edward got on with the introductions, introducing Alice to me too.

"Bella, Alice is my sister. She is seventeen years of age like us and apparently, she left our family to live in the countryside." Edward sarcastically said.

Alice pouted, slapping Edward's arm playfully. "Oh do not be so evil, dear brother. I had to, since I am already married too! To add to that, I have been married longer than you! Jasper & I do have to live near his parents!"

Jasper bowed down at me, tipping his hat at me. "Good afternoon, ma'am."

I giggled, curtsying at him. "Good afternoon, sir." I saluted at him and he did the same, a playful smile on his lips.

"So what makes you finally visit your hometown?" Edward asked Alice.

"We decided that we needed to take a trip down to see our parents and you, dear brother! Unfortunately, someone forgot to tell me they were getting married!" She glared at him, crossing her arms.

"Then the mail obviously did not arrive on time," Edward replied. "I am definitely not at fault!"

"You never did bother to telephone me about the news!" She exclaimed.

"Mother was in charge for the wedding invitations in our family! Perhaps, she forgot to telephone you." He quickly shot back.

"Well, how about we settle this over tea and crackers. Anyone?" I cut in.

* * *

Ta-da! And Alice & Jasper are introduced to the story! What do you think?

Scarlett


	9. Chapter 9

"... Edward would have this tiny little teddy bear that he would bring wherever he went and he got it since he was three years old! It was a surprise he kept it in perfect condition, since he was very rough on everyone!" Alice squealed. "I remember the first time I met him. Mother & Father adopted me and you were there," she smiled wistfully at Edward. "You gave me a baby-toothed smile the first time and I knew I was going to have the best sibling in the world."

Edward smiled. "I am? Well, thank you, after putting up with your pink dolls lost in my room." He childishly and smugly said.

Alice gasped dramatically. "Fine, then! I take my words back!"

Edward rolled his eyes. "There is no way of taking your words back, dear sister. And after all, I did say thank you."

Alice gave up, folding her arms, leaning back into the rattan chair and completely ignoring him. Jasper & I chuckled under our breaths and she pinched Jasper's arm, glaring at him. "Husbands do not laugh at their wives!" She hissed.

He immediately shut his mouth. There wasn't even a hint of an amused smile on his face.

I took the pot of steaming hot tea and tilted it at my teacup. I frowned. "Oh, I need to refill this! Excuse me," I stood up and smiled politely at Jasper & Alice. Jasper & Edward stood up in respect.

"Do you need help, Isabella?" Alice asked, still seated in her chair.

I shook my head. "No, thank you. Do you want more biscuits?"

"That is alright. Jasper & I are just about to head out to meet my parents soon."

"Okay." I replied and walked through the main door to fetch some more hot tea for Edward's sister and her husband at our porch. Halfway down the way to the kitchen, I heard someone's shoes clicking on the wooden floor. I turned around. "Alice, may I help you with something?" I frowned, bemused.

She breathed out a sigh, shaking her head. "Edward is an exasperating one, is he not?"

I laughed momentarily. "That depends."

"Depends?" She asked. "On what, Isabella?"

I shrugged. "On his mood and the person he's talking to. I've learned a lot just by living with him for just six days. He has a very interesting character."

Alice snorted rather unladylike. "I have figured that out long ago. It is very hard living with your twin."

"Twin?" I asked. "So you both come from the same biological parents?"

She chuckled. "No. I was adopted into the family and we both were born on the same year. We are not biologically siblings, but we had the title of being Irish twins."

"Right." My frown disappeared. "Right, that's the way it works."

"I have not had the time to spend talking to you," Alice started. "How is Edward? Is he treating you well?"

I nodded. "Well... yes."

She paused. "I hear hesitation. Tell me what he has done and I will settle it straight with him."

I shook my head. "No! I mean, he was a little cold to me when he... courted me, but we're fine now." The word 'court' was so outdated to me. It sounded like it was a guarantee to marriage.

"That is not all, Isabella. You have something to hide!" She gave me a tight-lipped smile as she pointed to me.

I froze, and it was a miracle that I hadn't thrown the teapot at her and run away.

She shrugged. "There will be a time when all is revealed. Well, are you going to make the tea or do you need help?"

"I'm... I'm gonna make the tea." I replied in a clipped tone. "You can go back to the porch. Iced or hot?"

She grinned, whipping out her huge oriental fan from her sleeve. "Iced, please. The sun has been beating down on us for the past few days!" She dramatically shook it fast in her hand, some of her hair flying.

I chuckled. "Iced tea, coming up."

I made hot tea in a glass jug and plopped in ice cubes, quickly melting them and making the tea cold. I brought it out onto the porch and everyone stared at me, obviously never making any conversations while I was making iced tea.

Edward frowned. "I thought you were making hot tea."

I pressed my lips into a straight line as I looked at him, then smiled. "Your lovely sister requested for iced tea. She's right— it's been hot for the past few days."

Alice smugly smiled at him. "Your wife sides with me."

"Yes, she may be siding with you but she is stuck with me." Edward fought back.

I rolled my eyes. "Stop bickering. You both are utterly noisy."

Edward shut his mouth and Alice giggled.

"Well, I'm glad I amuse you." I stated, pouring the iced tea into glasses. I placed the teacups into the tray, so that I could carry them into the kitchen later.

* * *

"May I please ask you a question?" Edward asked after the grand Victorian main iron gates clashed together, Alice & Jasper's horse carriage outside of them.

"You just did," I teased.

He sighed an exasperated sigh. "Well fine, if this is how you want to play it."

Without a warning, my feet were off the ground and I yelped, finding myself facing Edward's back— upside down. I squealed. "Edward, put me down!" I beat his back, but my attempts were futile.

"Not putting you down, and you are surprisingly light." he commented. He carried me into the house and walked up the grand stairs in the huge hall.

"Wha... Where are we going?! What the hell are you thinking?! Put me down! What the— What— Hey!" I sputtered.

He shook his head. "I told you, I'm not putting you down. Well, that is until we've arrived."

"Arrived?" I widened my eyes. "Edward, where the hell are you taking me?"

He shrugged. "Our bedroom."

I chuckled in disbelief. "It's too early for that! Shouldn't we do that night activity after dinner or something? And, I've yet to put the teacups, glasses, jug and plates into the sink! I need to wash them! Edward!"

"I was not talking about that, but if you want to I'll be happy to comply." He smirked. "We will get the maids to clean the porch up."

I folded my arms. "We have a cleaning crew? And I'm sorry, you wouldn't tell me what we were going to do inside there." I sarcastically replied.

"I plan to tickle you until the answer comes out of your mouth." Edward answered. "And yes, my mother hired a cleaning crew for the house."

"I don't even know what's the question!"

"You sided with my beloved sister. Did she ask you anything about me?" He asked.

I rolled my eyes. "You're her brother, I'm your wife. What do you think?"

He pursed his lips. "I'll take that as a yes, but I have a feeling you will not tell me what you and my sister were talking about."

"It's girl code!" I quoted one of my favourite hilarious TV shows. "What do you expect?"

He sighed, putting me on the bed. The bed bounced and was soft, but my butt still hurt. I rubbed my bottom, glaring at him. "That hurts!" I said.

He chuckled, his fingers inching towards me. He quickly started poking my sides and triggered goosebumps all over my skin.

"Edward!" I shrieked, laughing at the same time. "Edward, stop it! Please! Oh my god, stop! Edward, please!"

"Tell me what you both talked about and the exact details. I will stop once I'm satisfied with the answer." He smiled amusedly.

"You can't get it out of me!" I shouted. "I'll be breaking total girl code! That's not fair!"

"There is a girl code for this? Do you care to tell me this?" His fingers ghosted across my arms and immediately tried to pull back, but couldn't.

"No! I can't! It's girl code! I won't— Ah!" I giggled. "Stop it! Please! Edward! Oh god! Stop!"

He shook his head. "I cannot, unless you tell me what you & Alice talked about."

"Edward, please!" My cheeks were aching from my constant wide smile. I suddenly thought of a way to stop him all together. "Okay! Fine! I love you! Very much! Stop it— Oh." I froze when his fingers disappeared from my skin. I opened my eyes and saw him staring at me with wide eyes.

"You... you love me?" he whispered.

I nodded. "Yeah. A lot." I said, then got off the bed. I placed a hand behind his neck, pulling him closer. His fingers ghosted along my upper arm again, but it felt more intimate than just now.

As precious as my confession to him was, I still had another confession to admit to him, and I wasn't sure if he was going to like it or not. I didn't know whether I should tell him I wasn't the Bella he knew for months— the one he saw for the first time and fell hard for. I wasn't going to tell him now, though. I was too afraid to ruin a situation too perfect like this.

* * *

Aw... she just confessed she loves him, but I just had to end it with the main problem. *smirks* This is just the beginning. And yes, I kept mentioning about Girl Code. I absolutely love that show! It's hilarious. I haven't watched Guy Code yet, but I'm looking forward to it.

Yes, curious readers. This is the reason why you read this: to know what will happen next. It's great to know that a lot of you (well, I think I'm the only one who knows what will happen in this story) are interested to know what will happen! I'm still so happy that my plot or the story is still top-secret. *smiles*

Scarlett


	10. Chapter 10

"What?" I exclaimed. "You still don't know how to tie a tie?"

Edward pouted. "Just this once and I will learn how to do it all by myself."

We were going to Edward's parents' home for dinner, since Alice just came in from Texas with her husband, Jasper. I was already donned in a silver mesh dress with floral lace at the edges of the dress. My hair was pinned up, a pale white hat covered my head and heavy pearl and crystal earrings dangled from my earlobes. Edward looked dashing as always in a suit. The black tuxedo jacket fitted him like a second skin, but the only problem was that he didn't know how to tie his tie.

I rolled my eyes, but complied. I took a step closer towards him, my eyes staying on his perfectly sculpted chest that outlined through his white button down shirt. My fingers worked fast as I twisted and turned the stray black ends together. I adjusted the tie and smiled at my end product. "There." I whispered.

He lifted my chin up with two fingers and he stared into my eyes, a crooked smile playing on his lips. "You look breathtaking tonight, Bella."

"Thank you very much, Edward, but I believe that is just exaggeration. None of these accessories can ever heighten a lady's beauty." I cocked an eyebrow.

He gave me a peck on the lips. "Do not fight me, Bella. Let's move. My mother will not be happy if we arrive late."

"Anyone else there?" I asked.

"Well... my relatives like my aunts, uncles and cousins, and family friends." Edward replied.

"I thought you just said it was dinner." I folded my arms.

He ran his hand through his silky bronze hair, looking up. "Well... uh..."

I groaned. "No lies! We are married now," I thrusted my left ring finger at his face so that he could see the starburst-cut amethyst and aquamarine stones encrusted together on my rose gold band, "and you're the one who slotted this ring in, so the commitment goes to you! Now tell me honestly, do I look good in this dress? No biased opinions!"

He sighed, shaking his head. "Isabella, you look nowhere near beautiful tonight. You look beyond that."

I stomped past him. "Frack it. Let's move!"

I heard him chuckle behind me as I snatched up my bag and walk down the stairs to the large receiving hall and out of the doors, entering the carriage that awaited us. The rider closed the door, but hadn't moved yet since Edward hadn't gotten in. After a minute, the door opened and Edward sat beside me.

My arms remained crossed, my posture facing away from him. I felt his hand cover mine, but left my wedding ring in sight. His finger swept across the gems.

"I picked out the most beautiful one from the store, and it surprisingly fits your personality," he whispered, his smile echoed in his voice. "What everyone said is true— your soulmate gets more beautiful when she wears your ring."

I closed my eyes, sighing. "Oh god no. You're gonna try to make me fall down to your knees, aren't you?"

He shook his head, his smile widening. "That has always been my objective, Bella, but now I already have you willingly held captive."

"I feel like I'm in a pirate movie," I mumbled.

The carriage came to a halt and the rider opened the door for us. I came out first, then Edward did. He slipped his arm around mine. "Now, it is time to face everyone. Careful, my folks and their friends are extremely nosey, the women much more than men."

I rolled my eyes. "Aren't they all the same?"

He pursed his lips. "Well... kind of."

We knocked on the doorbell and a few seconds later, I recognised Edward's mother's voice. "Coming!" Her voice muffled.

The lock unlatched and I was greeted by caramel-brown hair and deep brown eyes smiling down at us. "Edward! Isabella!"

Edward bowed slightly. "Mother," he said, then released me to hug and kiss her cheeks hello.

I felt awkward, not knowing what to do. I fidgeted in my place. Mrs. Cullen walked a few steps towards me and enveloped me into a hug. She smelt of roses and lilacs. "It is good to see you again, Isabella."

"It's my pleasure, Mrs. Cullen." I sheepishly giggled.

She waved my given name for her off. "Mrs. Cullen is my mother-in-law. Call me Esme, darling."

"Esme," I tested out on my tongue and it rolled out smoothly.

She smiled, satisfied. "Good! Let's get you young people in. It is an unusually cold night."

She pulled us both in and Edward removed his coat, then helped me with mine. Esme smiled. "Oh, isn't my son the perfect gentleman?"

I chuckled. "Apparently so." I kissed Edward's cheek.

"The other youths are in the entertainment room, but they can wait. Let's get you to the living room! Your parents are in there, together with a few of our friends, Isabella."

I smiled. "They're here?"

She nodded. "When was the last time you saw them?"

I shrugged. "Probably when they handed me & Edward the keys to our house."

"Then you will be glad to see them." She said, shooing us into the living room. "Go!"

Edward smirked. "Told you so." he whispered in my ear.

"Oh shut up." I pushed him away, laughing.

"Oh, look at them!" I heard my mother gasp. "Aw, does that remind you of us, Charles?"

I heard the gruff chuckle of my father. "Oh yes. She has your feistiness."

Edward & my heads snapped up and we stared at the crowd. A group of middle-aged people were smiling at us.

"Isabella!" Reneè walked fast towards us and hugged me.

I hugged her back and kissed her cheek. "Good evening, Mother."

She pulled back and looked like she was about to burst out into tears. "I cannot believe you are married already!" She sobbed.

I groaned, covering my face. "Please don't cry. Oh my god. Don't freak out on me."

Edward frowned at me. "Freak out? What kind of figure of speech is that, may I ask?"

I waved him off. "Forget it. Mother, don't cry! I've been married for a week already! Why hasn't that gotten past your mind?"

Charlie passed by her and hugged me. "How is my little girl doing?"

I wrapped my arms around him tightly. "Doing fine, Dad. How are you?"

"Oh, the household has been empty ever since you moved out. It is very bizarre not hearing the maids say 'Ms. Isabella' again."

I giggled. "Oh dear. You should see what happens around my house now. I'm called 'Mrs. Cullen' by the household crew."

He kissed my cheek before letting me go. He picked up a glass of champagne from a tray that was passing by and passed it to me. "Here is your first glass tonight. You are a woman, so I am not refraining you from alcohol tonight."

I was still accustomed to the law back in my time, and having your father hand you alcohol to drink while you're still seventeen was awesome to other teenagers, but not me. It really creeped me out. My father back in my time allowed me to do whatever I wanted, as long as I wasn't caught. I've tried drinking beer once. It just wasn't my thing. And partying? I hated being surrounded by techno music and crowds that were unaware of what they were doing.

"Father, no thanks. I really should not have alcohol." I shook my head and hand.

He cocked an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "I'm sure."

Reneè gasped again. "Isabella! Are you with child?"

I froze, narrowing my eyes at her. "Wait, what?"

She have a small smile. "Well, you both have only been married for a week, that's a given, but Edward has been courting you for months and—"

"Oh, Mrs. Swan, we did not engage in any... inappropriate activities before our marriage, I swear." Edward stepped up from behind me.

Her face fell. "Oh. Well, let us pretend what I said never happened, but it would be nice to see my grandchildren."

Pretend that you didn't say anything related to kids to me? How the hell can I forget that? I thought. I rolled my eyes at her, chuckling. "Just how old are you now, Mother? Thirty six? There is plenty of time. Anyway, I just have not grown accustomed to alcohol. I probably will. Soon."

Charlie cleared his throat. "You may enjoy the company of young adults your age. They are in the entertainment room. Our conversations here may... bore you," he spoke up. "Run along."

He looked at me in the eye. "Sorry." He mouthed silently.

I smiled. "That's okay."

Edward & I walked up the steps and I cringed. "Oh god, I didn't realise how quick my mother judged situations."

Edward smiled, amused. "We better start working on a grandchild for her, then. She seemed disappointed when I said you were not pregnant."

"Ugh, not now." I groaned. The cries of babies in the middle of the night and diapers with poop was extremely unappealing to me. Plus, being seventeen and pregnant was weird. I felt like I could be on Teen Mom already.

* * *

Huh. Kids. Well anyways, drop a comment on the box below!

Scarlett


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